For Tennessee farmers Tom Garvey (Oscar winner Mel Gibson, Braveheart, Lethal Weapon, Chicken Run) and his wife Mae (Oscar winner Sissy Spacek, Coal Miner's Daughter, Missing, Carrie), the river that flows next to their farm becomes a double-edged sword that could give their crops a breath of life or destroy them altogether. Their livelihood hangs in the balance when the local power authority plans to flood their land for a hydroelectric project. Come hell or high water, Tom and Mae aren't going to let that happen.